Field Journal 2/20/2023
I visited Colchester’s Delta Park from about 3:00-4:30pm on Tuesday, January 31. Delta Park is located at the junction of Lake Champlain and the Winooski River. There is habitat for many types of wildlife including waterfowl and predators like red foxes. I spent thirty minutes on the main bridge that crosses the Winooski as it joins the lake, and later another 30 minutes or so by the edge of the water. The sun was low in the sky, and the temperature was 18 degrees F with low wind.
Mostly I observed birds. I saw a pair of Hooded Mergansers and a pair of Mallards on the sheltered side of the bridge. On the open lake, at least 18 Common Goldeneyes were swimming and diving underwater to forage. Neither the lake nor the river was frozen except at the edges. I saw fox tracks jogging through the frozen marshy area on the shore of the lake. I also saw White-breasted Nuthatches, Tufted Titmice, and a pair of Downy Woodpeckers in the trees. I could hear the sound of the ice shifting at the edges of the river, as well as birdsong and creaking branches. The air smelled cold.
During my visit, I had an opportunity to observe the flight of a Tufted Titmouse and some Common Goldeneyes. The difference in between the two species' anatomy and flying styles is striking. Titmice are quick, agile, and flit from branch to branch with their small wings. Goldeneyes are heavier and have to flap hard and splash with their feet as they take off from the water. They aren't particularly agile. They circle to lose altitude and land with a splash.
Later, I walked along the shore (instead of on the bike path) to try to get closer to the Goldeneyes, but that was cut short when I fell through the ice up to my waist. I thought I was on solid ground because of all the vegetation, but apparently not. I don’t remember the water being that high the last time I was there, but it makes sense there’d be variation. Luckily my camera seems to be alive.
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